This invention relates to equipment carriers, and more particularly to an equipment carrier adapted for releasable mounting to a support member associated with a vehicle.
Various systems are known for mounting an equipment carrier, such as a bicycle rack or ski carrier, to a support member associated with a vehicle. A roof-mounted equipment carrier is typically interconnected with one or more support members, in the form of load bars or struts, that extend transversely between the sides of the vehicle roof. The support members have a wide variety of different configurations. Typically, the equipment carrier is mounted to the support member by means of a mounting arrangement that is designed for a specific type of support member. Normally, the mounting arrangement for securing an equipment carrier to one type of support member is not compatible with a differently configured support member, so that a different type of mounting arrangement must be employed in order to mount an equipment carrier to the differently configured support member. This results in an inconvenience to the user, in that the equipment carrier may only be usable in combination with one vehicle owned by the user, and it thus may be necessary to purchase a separate equipment carrier or different type of mounting arrangement if it is desired to use the equipment carrier with a different vehicle owned by the same user. In the event the user owns a single vehicle, the same problem can be presented when the user change from a vehicle having one type of support member to a vehicle having a different type of support member. Alternatively, if a mounting arrangement for one type of support member is used in connection with another type of support member, it is possible that the mounting arrangement may not provide a secure connection of the equipment carrier to the support member. This can result in a dangerous condition, since it is important to ensure that an equipment carrier is securely mounted to a vehicle during transport.
Further, a number of manufacturers offer support members, such as load bars or struts, that are adapted to be removably mounted to a vehicle for mounting various types of equipment carriers to the vehicle. Typically, each manufacturer of this type of support member provides a mounting arrangement for its own equipment carriers that is compatible with the specific configuration of its support members. This generally prevents a user from using equipment carriers available from one manufacturer with support members available from another.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting arrangement for a vehicle-mounted equipment carrier, in which the mounting arrangement enables the equipment carrier to be secured to any type of vehicle-mounted support member, whether the support member is installed as original equipment on the vehicle or is a support member that is removably mounted to the vehicle. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a mounting system which can be utilized to secure an equipment carrier to a vehicle-mounted support member, regardless of the configuration of the support member and the manner in which an equipment carrier is intended to be mounted to the support member. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a mounting system which is capable of quickly and easily mounting an equipment carrier to a vehicle-mounted support member, and which enables the equipment carrier to be quickly and easily disengaged from the support member. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a mounting system which is adaptable for use in connection with any type of equipment carrier so as to enable any type of equipment carrier to be mounted to any type of support member. A still further object of the invention is to provide such a mounting system which is relatively simple in its components and construction so as to allow ease of use and manufacture, yet which is operable to securely mount an equipment carrier to a vehicle-mounted support member.
In accordance the present invention, a mounting system for an equipment carrier includes a flexible retainer member that extends from the equipment carrier and is adapted to wrap about a support member interconnected with the vehicle. The equipment carrier includes a base which is adapted for placement on the support member, and the flexible retainer member extends from the base about the support member. The flexible retainer member defines a free end that is engageable with a releasable engagement arrangement, which is carried by a tensioner or clamping member that functions to tighten the flexible retainer member onto the support member so as to clamp the base member onto the support member. The clamping member is movably interconnected with the base member, so as to be movable away from the base member, and thereby the support member, to urge the base member toward the support member when the free end of the flexible retainer member is engaged with the clamping member via the releasable engagement arrangement.
In one embodiment, the flexible retainer member is in the form of a strap member having a fixed end secured to the clamping member and extending through the base member, with the free end of the strap member being engageable with the clamping member via the releasable engagement arrangement. The clamping member is movable away from the base member by means of a threaded member which is threadedly engaged with the clamping member and which defines an end in engagement with the base member. In this manner, rotation of the threaded member functions to move the clamping member away from the base member, to tighten the strap member and to thereby clamp the base member against the support member. The releasable engagement arrangement between the clamping member and the strap member may be in the form of a series of teeth formed on the strap member adjacent the free end of the strap member, and a movable locking member carried by the clamping member which is movable into and out of engagement with the strap member teeth. The locking member thus functions to releasably engage the free end of the strap member with the clamping member.
The invention also contemplates an improvement in an equipment carrier as well as a method of mounting an equipment carrier to a vehicle-mounted support member, substantially in accordance with the foregoing summary.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.